Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core i3-12100F + AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT

This pairing brings together a 4-core/8-thread Intel Core i3-12100F with a 16 GB AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, a combination that sits at rank 596 out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rates at 1440p and surprisingly playable 4K, but the CPU's modest core count creates a clear ceiling in this horror title. The benchmarks reveal where each component dominates and where the pairing leaves performance on the table.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 163 mm². It runs at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boosts up to 4.30 GHz, with a 58 W TDP. The cache layout includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i3-12100F shows strong single-thread capability. Its 3dmark single-thread score of 893 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681 indicate solid per-core performance. The multi-thread results are more modest: Cinebench R23 multicore hits 11912, while Geekbench multicore reaches 7413. Passmark multithread scores 14015, and the 3dmark 8-thread test yields 4026. The processor's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 72, meaning it outperforms roughly 72% of tested processors.

The nearest rivals in average benchmark score put the i3-12100F in context. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX scores 13534, just 0.1% higher, while the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13462, a 0.4% gap. The Intel Core i3-10105 trails by 0.6% at 13430, and the Intel Core i7-7700K sits 1.8% behind at 13280. These tight deltas show the i3-12100F holds its own against processors with very different architectures and core counts.

In Downfall, the CPU's role becomes apparent when looking at frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 286.7 FPS, but the scaling from there suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher settings. The 4-core/8-thread design handles the game's horror-focused workload adequately, but the absence of additional cores means the system relies heavily on the GPU to carry performance at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a RDNA 2.0 architecture GPU built on TSMC's 7 nm process, with 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die. It features 4608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, along with 72 ray tracing cores. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1825 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. Memory consists of 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and it connects via PCIe 4.0 x16.

The RX 6800 XT's pixel rate is 288.0 GPixel/s, texture rate is 648.0 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance reaches 20.74 TFLOPS. Its 300 W TDP requires a 700 W suggested PSU and two 8-pin power connectors. The card measures 267 mm in length, 120 mm in height, and 50 mm in width, occupying a dual-slot form factor.

In GPU benchmarks, the RX 6800 XT posts strong scores: Passmark G3D hits 24980, Geekbench OpenCL reaches 154506, and Geekbench Vulkan scores 152200. The 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 test yields 3689. The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 87, indicating it outperforms 87% of tested graphics cards.

The nearest GPU rivals show competitive positioning. The NVIDIA RTX A1000 scores 50826, 1.7% higher, while the Intel Arc A550M trails by 0.5% at 49737. The NVIDIA CMP 50HX sits 1.9% behind at 49071, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is 2.6% lower at 48704. These small deltas place the RX 6800 XT in a tight performance band with these cards.

The GPU's 16 GB VRAM and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth prove more than sufficient for Downfall's demands. The data shows the GPU scaling well with resolution, pushing frame rates that the CPU can feed at 1080p but also delivering playable 4K performance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how this combo scales across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 286.7 FPS, dropping to 207.2 FPS at 1440p Low (a 27.7% reduction) and further to 129.5 FPS at 4K Low (a 54.8% drop from 1080p). This scaling pattern indicates the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases, with the CPU maintaining enough headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

At High settings, the trend continues. The combo achieves 191.6 FPS at 1080p, 141.7 FPS at 1440p (26.0% lower), and 87.9 FPS at 4K (54.1% lower than 1080p). Medium settings show 234.5 FPS at 1080p, 170.8 FPS at 1440p (27.2% lower), and 105.2 FPS at 4K (55.1% lower). Ultra settings produce 119.6 FPS at 1080p, 89.9 FPS at 1440p (24.8% lower), and 54 FPS at 4K (54.8% lower).

The consistent ~55% drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings suggests the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at higher resolutions. The RX 6800 XT's 16 GB VRAM and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth handle the increased pixel workload, while the i3-12100F's single-thread performance keeps up with the game's CPU demands. The 1440p to 4K transitions show smaller percentage drops, typically around 38-39%, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth becomes more critical as resolution climbs.

How This Combo Ranks

This Intel Core i3-12100F + AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination ranks 596 out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the upper third of all tested systems. The ranking reflects a strong GPU paired with a modest CPU, and the data suggests the combo performs above what the CPU's core count alone would predict.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 72 and the GPU's percentile ranking of 87 combine to produce a system that handles Downfall well. The GPU's high percentile compensates for the CPU's lower ranking, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU workload dominates. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, but the i3-12100F's 4.30 GHz boost clock and strong single-thread scores keep frame rates high.

The combo's rank relative to the total 1741 combos indicates that many systems with higher-end CPUs or GPUs perform worse in this title, likely due to the game's specific optimization patterns. The RX 6800 XT's 16 GB VRAM provides headroom for texture-heavy scenes, while the i3-12100F's 12 MB L3 cache helps with the game's data access patterns.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the High preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 141.7 FPS, it provides a smooth experience well above 60 FPS, with the 4K High result of 87.9 FPS showing this setting is also viable for 4K gaming. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 54 FPS, barely below the 60 FPS threshold, making it a borderline choice for players who prioritize maximum visual fidelity.

For players with 1080p displays, the Medium preset at 234.5 FPS or High at 191.6 FPS both deliver exceptional smoothness. The Ultra preset at 119.6 FPS remains highly playable, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining high frame rates. At 1440p, Medium at 170.8 FPS and High at 141.7 FPS both provide excellent experiences, with Ultra at 89.9 FPS still comfortably above 60 FPS.

The Low preset delivers the highest frame rates—286.7 FPS at 1080p, 207.2 FPS at 1440p, and 129.5 FPS at 4K—but sacrifices visual quality. Given the GPU's capabilities, the Low preset is unnecessary for most scenarios, as the card handles higher settings with ease. Players seeking maximum frame rates for competitive play may still prefer Low settings, but the data shows High or Medium provide superior experiences for this horror title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers its strongest performance. Low settings produce 286.7 FPS, Medium reaches 234.5 FPS, High achieves 191.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 119.6 FPS. These numbers indicate the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at this resolution, as even Ultra settings maintain high frame rates.

Moving to 1440p, the results remain impressive. Low settings yield 207.2 FPS, Medium reaches 170.8 FPS, High achieves 141.7 FPS, and Ultra produces 89.9 FPS. The 1440p results show a smooth progression across settings, with each step up in quality costing roughly 30-40 FPS.

At 4K, the GPU's capabilities become more apparent. Low settings hit 129.5 FPS, Medium reaches 105.2 FPS, High achieves 87.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 54 FPS. The Ultra setting at 4K is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS, making it the sole scenario where the combo struggles to maintain smooth gameplay.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: across all resolutions, the jump from Low to Medium costs approximately 50-60 FPS, from Medium to High costs another 40-50 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 70-90 FPS. The Ultra settings at 4K represent the most demanding scenario, with the 54 FPS result indicating the RX 6800 XT reaches its limits in this configuration.